


Second Time's the Charm

by Tahlruil



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Attempted Sexual Coercion, Cuddle Monster Tony Stark, Fluff, Happy Ending, How Do I Tag, M/M, Manipulative Tiberius Stone, Nerd Tony Stark, No cheating, POV Tony Stark, Pining, Protective Bucky Barnes, Shy Tony Stark, Some angst, Tiberius is a dick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:01:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22082248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tahlruil/pseuds/Tahlruil
Summary: Bucky's face did something complicated, though he didn't actually say anything. It was a refreshing change from almost everyone else he was friends with. They just didn't understand - they just didn't see the Tiberius Stone that he did. Ty had a hard time letting his guard down, that was all. That he was willing to do that for Tony was awesome and he was tired of everyone giving him shit for it. With Bucky though, he could pretend that it was just the guy's resting bitch face and not a reflection of his opinion on Ty."Seems like a cranky guy." Tony could kiss him for the dismissive sentence. Pepper, Rhodey and Steve all would have gone on a rant. Not Bucky. "So what are you workin' on? If it's world domination remember that I'm on your team."
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark, Tony Stark/Tiberius Stone
Comments: 24
Kudos: 443
Collections: 2019 WinterIron_Holiday_Exchange





	Second Time's the Charm

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheMaroonRedWolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMaroonRedWolf/gifts).



> Happy holidays TheMaroonRedWolf! Hope you enjoy. <3
> 
> I think I've tagged things well enough, but if someone thinks I should add or change, please let me know!

The small crease between Ty's brows was never a good sign. He wanted to take a deep breath to calm himself, but that was only going to get his boyfriend even more annoyed. If that tic in his jaw started up then Tony knew he was really going to be in for it. Okay. It was fine, it was going to be fine. All he needed to do was figure out what he'd done wrong in the first place and then fix it, which shouldn't be a problem.

"I mean... I didn't mean that you can't come over," he ventured, hoping he'd guessed right. "Maybe just a little later than usual? That's all. So I can get the project done."

"Aren't you supposed to be a genius? That project was assigned almost a week ago. You should be done by now, _Tony_." Ty's voice was sharp enough to cut, and he winced in response. He was a genius, and he shouldn't be taking so long to complete the stupid project Professor Reed had given them. Some of the concepts he'd been trying to carry through were way advanced, so he could probably cut them. It might make the whole thing feel a little unfinished, but it would take a lot less time. Then Ty could come over when he usually did and it would all be fine.

"No, yeah. You're right. You can just--"

"Forget it. If I'm not a priority I'm not going to beg you to make me one. Call me when you've got time for me again."

As he watched Ty walk away his stomach dropped down to his shoes. God, he was so _stupid_ sometimes. Ty had been worried that he didn't have enough time for a boyfriend and he'd sworn up and down that he did. He'd promised to make sure Ty was a priority - _the_ priority - in his life and now he was letting him down. Why was he such a fuck-up?

"You keep chewin' on that lip and you're gonna start bleedin' doll."

Startled out of his spiraling thoughts, he looked over into steel-blue eyes and tried to smile. Bucky was a nice guy for all that he looked kind of like a thug. Mostly that was the murder strut that was his usual walk, which wasn't helped by the leather jacket, thick eyeliner or the motorcycle he rode around campus. He must have just finished a ride too - his bun was all messed and he had his helmet tucked under one arm.

"Hey." The downturn of those expressive lips had him feeling guilty. He didn't want to bring the guy down. Not when Bucky was always so nice to him and always tried to make him smile.

"What's wrong?" Bucky's frown turned into a downright scowl as his eyes swept over the area. "Somebody messin' with you again?"

"That was one time, Terminator, and you can't just go punching everyone who looks at me cross-eyed." That earned him a skeptical look, though it melted as soon as Tony started to smile. "You could I guess, but eventually someone would press charges."

"Yeah, but it'd be worth it. Can I sit for a while? Waitin' for Stevie."

"Of course. And you're crazy, you know that? I am not worth jail time. And no, nobody is being mean to me, so stand down soldier." Bucky rolled his eyes as he took his seat and then sprawled in it like he owned the place. One of his arms was slung over Tony's chair, which meant he would totally drop it to his shoulders to give him a hug if he started whining. Score! Bucky gave the best hugs. "I just made Ty mad again, so I'm trying to figure out how I can make it up to him."

Bucky's face did something complicated, though he didn't actually say anything. It was a refreshing change from almost everyone else he was friends with. They just didn't understand - they just didn't see the Tiberius Stone that he did. Ty had a hard time letting his guard down, that was all. That he was willing to do that for Tony was awesome and he was tired of everyone giving him shit for it. With Bucky though, he could pretend that it was just the guy's resting bitch face and not a reflection of his opinion on Ty.

"Seems like a cranky guy." Tony could kiss him for the dismissive sentence. Pepper, Rhodey and Steve all would have gone on a rant. Not Bucky. "So what are you workin' on? If it's world domination remember that I'm on your team."

"I'm not going to take over the world," he rebutted with a smile. "If I did I'd have to take care of it afterwards, and no thanks. Pepper already said she wouldn't do it for me. So unless you want to run things..."

"No thanks. I got enough to do keeping Stevie alive." His giggles made Bucky's face relax into a warm smile, and Tony did his best to ignore the guilty attraction that curled through him at the sight. "Looks like your fries got cold and your milkshake melted. Let me get you some more so you can keep me company while I eat lunch?" He'd been on the verge of refusing, but knowing that Bucky would join him changed things. Sort of.

"I really should get this project out of the way--"

"So we'll talk about it while we eat. I know I don't understand everything that comes outta that beautiful brain of yours," heat rose to his cheeks at Bucky's wink, which was just... just so _stupid_. "But you did say the other day that I make a good sounding board."

"That's true. You don't mind? We could talk about other things, I don't want to make you listen to my rambling the whole time. And anyway the project isn't really _that_ important and I'm sure it'll bore you, and--"

"It's important to you, and I like listening to you ramble." Just as he'd suspected, Bucky's arm moved to his shoulders to deliver the best sideways-squeeze-hug ever. "So let me go order and we'll chat until the food gets here. Then you can tell me all about what you've been working on lately. I bet it'll be great."

At his murmured agreement, Bucky gave him one last squeeze before heading off to the counter. He couldn't help but feel all happy and pleased - it was nice to have someone so eager to hang out with him. Especially someone who didn't mind when he got too intense about his school projects. And Buck really was a great listener when it came to stuff like that - he understood more than he gave himself credit for and was patient even when Tony was at his most rambly and passionate about his work.

Bucky was pretty much the best.

The distraction from Ty's anger was welcome, and hey! If he got enough done while they were eating, maybe he could skip working on the project later and surprise his boyfriend instead. Surely that would show Ty that he had his priorities straight. Feeling much better than he had before his friend had shown up to save him from his depression, he settled in for a fun, productive lunch.

~.~.~

Walking to Ty's house probably wasn't his smartest decision, but he'd been cooped up all day. And since he'd almost gotten to a place where he was comfortable neglecting his project for a whole night in that mad dash, he figured some fresh air was just what he deserved. Sure it was a little chilly but that's what coats were for. The looming dark didn't matter because Ty would totally drive him home... or maybe he'd finally spend the night, a prospect that was actually kind of terrifying. He didn't _mean_ to be frigid, it was just that he wasn't sure he even wanted to have sex. At the same time, he wanted to be a good boyfriend and Ty was so great for being willing to put up with all his quirks and insecurities. Surely he owed the guy something for that.

Ty's increasingly wandering hands seemed to agree. And was being a little nervous worth losing his relationship over?

"So you aren't going to the nerd's house tonight?" Ugh, that _Chad_ , who was his least favorite of Ty's friends. He was almost to his boyfriend's house and it sounded like Chad was right around the corner - they must have come outside to smoke. He'd get to surprise Ty even earlier than he'd thought! And sure it would be nice if Ty would stick up for him and tell Chad to stop _calling_ him that, but--

"Nah. I needed a break from all that fucking talking he does. Besides - he thinks I'm mad. If I let him stew on that long enough maybe he'll finally let me teach him a much better use for that pretty mouth of his." The two shared an ugly laugh that echoed in his ears even louder than his pounding heart. That was Ty's voice, but it couldn't have been... he couldn't be... Tony had to be misunderstanding. That was all. If he could get his body to move again he would march right around the corner and clear everything up and it would be okay.

"Why'd you even start hanging around him? Sure he's a hot little twink, but he's a loser otherwise. Maybe good for a fuck but to date him--"

"Oh please. We aren't _dating_." Tony clapped a hand over his mouth so he wouldn't sob out loud, because any second now Ty was going to take that back, or say something that would make this all make _sense_ in a way that wouldn't mean he was a completely pathetic moron. "Why do you think I don't take him out anywhere? Being seen with him on campus is bad enough." No. No no no. They hadn't been going anywhere because Tony was shy and Ty wanted to keep things private. Special. Just for them and...

He was an _idiot_. All his friends had been right.

"You're not even getting your dick wet dude."

"Not yet. But he tells me stuff about his dad's company sometimes that I can pass along to my dad. Tony is _so_ eager to please. When I do get him to sleep with me I can't wait to see how that translates. I bet I can train him up to be a proper little whore for me."

This time Tony covered his ears to try and keep the laughter from getting to him, squeezing his eyes shut at the same time. He wanted to be angry, wanted to go scream at Ty or maybe punch him. Instead he felt sick and weak, as pathetic as all of Ty's friends thought he was. As pathetic as his own friends must think he was. They'd been trying to tell him, but he'd been so _happy_ to have someone as handsome as Ty pay him attention. And Ty could be so sweet, and Tony had _loved him_.

Crying as quietly as he knew how, he turned and started to run. He didn't know where he was going, just knew that he needed to get away. As far away as he could get from those awful words and that horrible laughing. Away from stupid Chad and fucking Tiberious Stone. He needed to be away so he could try to fix his broken heart before he went home.

If Rhodey saw how upset he was he would _kill_ Ty, and Tony wished he wished that on his now ex-boyfriend.

When he ran out of breath he stopped running by falling against a wall and sliding down to the ground. It was getting dark enough that no one would be able to see him falling apart, so he was just going to let it happen. He pulled his knees up to his chest in a tight hug, buried his face there, and began to cry his heart out.

He'd been there long enough to start shivering when he heard someone's feet stop in front of him. Not wanting to look up into the face of a new tormentor he just hugged himself tighter and tried not to whimper. Above him he heard a sigh and then the creaking of leather; a familiar scent teased his nose moments before calloused fingers snuck into his impromptu hiding place and eased his chin up. Bucky Barnes stared into his eyes for several heartbeats, expression going through a series of emotions that he couldn't be bothered to figure out. He was too tired and heartbroken for that.

When he sniffled, ready to start another round of crying, Bucky's face softened completely and his hand shifted to cradle Tony's cheek. The gentle touch made his breath hitch and his lower lip start to tremble. Before either of them could say anything, before Bucky could make him talk about what happened, he threw himself at the other man with a quiet sob.

Of course Bucky caught him immediately and gathered him close, not seeming to mind that he'd been knocked on his ass to do it. He pressed his face against Bucky's neck, ready to hide there for as long as he was allowed. Hopefully that would be forever. There was no way he'd ever be ready to face the world again.

Thankfully Bucky didn't seem inclined to force the issue. He just let Tony crawl further into his lap and hold on tight. Fuck, he didn't even yell that he was creasing the leather which Ty-- Another sob ripped out of his throat at the half-formed thought. Bucky made a wounded sound and began to card his fingers through his hair. It felt nice and encouraged him to just let it all go again. After a few minutes of crying he felt Bucky scooting around, probably to put his back against the wall. Most people would be trying to shush him or telling him it was alright or trying to force him to say what was wrong.

Not Bucky. He just held on with the occasional murmured 'I've got you', delivering tender touches and a few kisses to his temple and the top of his head. Even when he eventually stopped crying again and went silent apart from a few hiccups, Bucky didn't push. There was a long, long period of silence where he kept stroking Tony's back and hair until his shuddering breaths were finally back to normal.

"Permission to beat that piece of shit into a smear?"

The words came out of nowhere and actually startled a laugh out of him. A wet, weak one sure, but still. He was _laughing_ and it almost felt good. He peeked up at Bucky, expecting a teasing smile only to find that the man looked completely serious. Grim even, like he was ready to start a quest of vengeance as soon as he was given the go-ahead. He shouldn't be surprised - the first time they'd met Bucky had punched a grabby stranger for him - but he was. Only a little of that was because of how quickly he'd pinpointed the source of the problem. Ty wasn't exactly a pushover and his family was well-connected. If Bucky went after him...

"Permission denied, soldier," he said quietly while he tried to smile. "He isn't worth it."

"No, but you are. So you say the word and I'll--" Bucky came to an abrupt stop when he pressed a kiss to his cheek. Amazingly enough he almost seemed to be blushing, but the light was so scarce he couldn't be sure of it.

"Thank you." He might have said more, but a sudden wind had him shivering again. It had been easy to forget how cold it was when he was pressed up against Bucky's warmth. Now that he was relaxing it was much more noticeable.

"Let's get you inside. I live about a block from here, and I could make you some hot chocolate. There might even be some ice cream in the freezer and we can put on a shitty movie for you to yell at."

"Can there be cuddles?"

"You can have all the cuddles you want doll."

As soon as they were on their feet, Bucky stripped off his jacket and wrapped it around Tony's shoulders instead. He tried to protest - the guy only had on a criminally tight tank top on underneath - but he was ignored. Bucky did sling an arm around him as they walked too. That he didn't say anything about at all, just tucked himself close to the man's side. It was a quick walk to their destination and pretty soon he found himself ensconced on Bucky's comfortable couch with the TV playing softly in the background.

He could hear Bucky puttering in the kitchen and it was more soothing than he would have thought. Soon there was going to be hot chocolate and cuddles - he'd turned down the ice cream. Ty's words were hurting him a little less with every sweet gesture though he knew they would haunt him for a long time. Maybe he wouldn't need to hide away forever after all.

"Here you go. You wanna watch anything in particular? I've got Netflix or we could just watch TV." The mug Bucky handed him was wonderfully warm, though he couldn't help but snort when he saw the guy had pulled on a sweatshirt.

"I knew you were cold. You didn't need to give me your coat. I already had a coat on, Terminator. I was fine."

"You were shivering! And I'm not cold, I'm chilly. Very different things." Bucky plopped down next to him; before Tony could get self-conscious about initiating snuggles, a heavy but comforting arm wrapped around him. "Let me know if you get cold again though. I've got a sweatshirt you could borrow, or there's a blanket on the back of the couch I could pull down."

"I'm fine for now. If I get sleepy I may request a blanket to go with my cuddles on principle." When Bucky chuckled he felt bold enough to settle his head on the man's shoulder. "Though if I do start to fall asleep you can feel free to kick me out."

"Never. You can stay here as long as you need, alright? Hell, you can sleep over if you want. I don't have an extra bed, but I don't mind bunking on the couch for the night and you can have mine." This time he got to watch as Bucky did indeed turn bright red when he kissed his cheek. "What's that for?"

"For being so sweet."

"Am not."

"Are too. I'm not gonna be able to call you Terminator anymore, Bucky-boo."

"Shut up." Maybe he sounded disgruntled, but Bucky was still quick to tug him a little closer. "Are you gonna choose something to watch or am I?"

When he put on a channel showing the Harry Potter movies, they ended up bickering playfully over whether the books or movies were better. That led to a conversation about Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and a near throw-down on the Star Trek vs. Star Wars issue. The only time Bucky moved away from him was to make more hot chocolate and otherwise made no move to curb Tony's cuddle-monster ways. It was one of the nicest evenings he'd had in a long, long time. At some points it felt almost like a _date_ , which was not as horrifying as it should have been.

He ended up staying the night after all, though it hadn't been intentional. Sometime during The Half-Blood Prince he drifted off still nestled against Bucky's side; when he woke in the morning it was in the man's bed with the scent of bacon in his nose. What had happened with Ty had absolutely fucking _sucked_ , but maybe it had been worth it to end up where he had. And while he was absolutely not ready to throw himself into another relationship he was finally allowing himself to see Bucky in a different light. It was something to think about later, but for the moment he tucked it into the back of his mind and wandered off blearily to the kitchen to let Bucky feed him.

~.~.~

It took Bucky almost a month to ask him out after that. He did so with flowers and a slight waver in his voice, like there was any chance of Tony saying 'no'. Their first date happened at a little pizzeria and ended with another snuggle-fest on Bucky's couch. Dating the guy was an eye-opening experience and only highlighted how fucked-up things had been with Tiberius. Not once was he made to feel guilty for prioritizing school work or losing himself in his workshop. There were no wandering hands or too-intense kisses, just endless cuddles and pressure-free sleepovers.

Bucky _talked_ to him, was willing to share even the ugly parts of himself given time. They fought - what couple didn't - but they knew when to walk away from the battle. They learned how to apologize and talk it out, which wasn't really something Tony had ever had before. A year into their relationship they turned into the couple that their friends came to for couple-type advice. Two years in they moved out of Tony's apartment and bought a house. Soon they had two dogs, a three-legged cat and an African grey parrot with a serious attitude problem.

They had built something great together, and Tony had every reason to believe that Bucky would accept when he proposed at the end of the month. He'd booked the field party box for the two of them and some friends for an LA Dodgers game. Even if he turned chicken they'd all have a great time, but he had plans for that 7th inning stretch. Steve and Nat had given their blessings already, with Steve in particular being almost obnoxiously supportive. It was going to be _awesome_ and he couldn't wait to start the next phase of their lives.

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't have enough time to flesh this out as much as I would have liked, so I'm thinking I might do a second story from Bucky's perspective? Maybe. If people would be interested?


End file.
